Door tickets for "The Pride of China" Exhibition available
*************************************************

The more than 32,000 advance tickets for Phase I of “The Pride of China: Masterpieces of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy of the Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties from the Palace Museum” exhibition had all been sold out, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Museum of Art said today (July 13).

A small quantity of door tickets are still available on a first-come-first-served basis at the Box Office of the Museum of Art during opening hours.

The spokesman said the works on display at the “Pride of China” exhibition were gems from the Palace Museum and that the “Along the River during the Qingming Festival” by Zhang Zeduan of the Northern Song dynasty had drawn large crowds every time when it was put on display in mainland China. “Learning from others’ experiences and not causing hassles to the public in Hong Kong to view the rare exhibits, the museum has specially arranged the viewing of this masterpiece by sessions and tickets are sold in advance,” the spokesman said.

“However, to entertain some visitors, who cannot get advance tickets, a small quantity of door tickets are available at the Box Office of the museum, which opens from 9am.” The spokesman reminded the public that these door tickets were likely to be sold out within hours. A notice on the latest door ticket-selling situation is on display at the museum. Staff will also make verbal announcements.

“Having learned from the experience of showcasing the “Along the River during the Qingming Festival” in different places, we have measures tailored-made for the exhibition in Hong Kong. These include setting up a special gallery to show this five-metre long scroll, regulating admissions by hourly sessions and extending the opening hours,” the spokesman said. Opening hours of the exhibition have been further extended from 9am to 10pm since July 8.

“To cope with the large number of visitors daily and to allow every visitor a chance to view the painting without queuing for a long time, the museum found there was a need to exercise measure of crowd control by setting a time limit to view the work.

“The special gallery provides well illustrated panel text giving visitors comprehensive background information about the work. Meanwhile, major parts of the painting have been reproduced in large format to enable visitors to better appreciate the details of the scroll, which will help enhance visitors’ understanding and appreciation of the 1,000-year-old painting,” the spokesman said.

“Having balanced the needs of giving the people in Hong Kong an opportunity to see the gems of the Palace Museum for themselves and preserving national treasures more than 1,000 years’ old, the exhibition of the 32 works was divided into two phases upon the request from the Palace Museum with each phase lasting about three weeks.”

The first phase of the exhibition will run until July 22. Highlights include Zhang Zeduan’s “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” of the Northern Song dynasty, Wang Shen’s “Light Snow over a Fishing Village” of the Northern Song dynasty, Zhao Ji (Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty)’s “Auspicious Dragon Rock” of the Northern Song dynasty, Feng Chengsu’s “Copy after Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering” of the Tang dynasty, Qian Xuan’s “Secluded Dwelling” of the Yuan dynasty, Yan Zhenqing’s “Letter on the Flood in Huzhou” of the Tang dynasty, Xianyu Shu’s “Poem by Du Fu on Visiting Zhaoling Mausoleum” of the Yuan dynasty and Ni Zan’s “Ink Bamboo” of the Yuan dynasty. A special ticket at $20 is also available for no-time limit viewing of all the exhibits, except the “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” by Zhang Zeduan.

The second phase of the exhibition will run from July 23 to August 11. Highlights include Qiu Ying’s “Copy after Along the River During the Qingming Festival” of the Ming dynasty, Wang Xun’s “Letter to Boyuan” of the Jin dynasty, Yan Liben’s “Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy” of the Tang dynasty, Dong Yuan’s “The Xiao and Xiang Rivers” of the Five Dynasties, Su Shi’s “Letter on the Consignation of Author’s Graveyard” of the Northern Song dynasty, Mi Fu’s “Poem of the Tiao River” of the Northern Song dynasty, Liu Songnian’s “Landscapes of the Four Seasons” of the Southern Song dynasty, and Li Song’s “Puppet Play of a Skeleton” of the Southern Song dynasty.

The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Palace Museum and is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Palace Museum. It is co-sponsored by HSBC and the Friends of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, with Dragonair as the official carrier. It is one of the signature events to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of HKSAR.

The exhibition opens from 9am to 10pm daily (except July 14, 20 and 22) and is closed on Thursdays. Admission to this exhibition is $30 (normal ticket) and $20 (special tickets which exclude admission to the “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” Special Exhibition Gallery and will only be available from today to July 22 at the Box Office of the Museum of Art). A half-price concession is available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, full-time students and people with disabilities. “Free Admission on Wednesdays” and the department Weekly Pass are not applicable to this exhibition. The advance tickets for the second phase are now available for sale at the Box Office of Museum of Art and URBTIX outlets, and booking services on Internet are also available.

The Museum of Art is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. For details of the exhibition, visit the Museum of Art's website at http://hk.art.museum . For enquiries, call 2721 0116.